The Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Wakkala, is set to sponsor another set of mass wedding of 100 prospective couples in the State.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 200 women trained in various vocational skills under his Youths Empowerment Initiatives, Wakkala said the aim of his sponsorship was to reduce the number of widows and divorced women in the State, adding that many of the women want to marry but lack financial support.
According to him, there are many women in need of urgent support especially widows, divorcees, orphans, and other categories of less privileged in the society, to enable them to become self-reliant.
Wakkala explained that women are among the vulnerable groups and the major victims of various crises in the society, hence the need for the initiative.
He also stated that 100 males and females would be selected across the 14 LGAs of the State for the mass wedding noting that the process has commenced with different criteria used to select beneficiaries.
In April 2015, Zamfara State Government disclosed that the sum of N40 million was allocated to conduct a mass wedding organized by the Association of Widows and Divorcees in the State.
At St. Martin`s Catholic Church, Masaka, Most Rev. Mathew Audu, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, joined 109 couples in a mass wedding in the State in April 2016.
In January 2017, Sokoto State Government earmarked N32m for the mass wedding of 100 couples in the State.
Other States that are involved in mass wedding include Kano, Gombe among others.
Meanwhile, mass weddings do not happen in Nigeria only, other Countries including Ethiopia, Palestine, South Korea, and Brazil among others also allow this practice.
On Thursday, about 4,000 couples from 64 countries gathered in South Korea to exchange vows, in a marriage ceremony organized by the Unification Church. The Church says another 20,000 couples participated in the ceremony via the internet.
The late Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who is the founder of the Church, has been organizing Mass Wedding since 1962.
The mockery and criticism which usually follow Mass Weddings organized by Muslim authorities is however absent when people of other faith do the same. Yet, while those in other communities who do it, do it, as a ritual. The reasons given by the predominantly Muslim communities is charity.
25 Couples celebrated their wedding together in Balkh Province of Afghanistan in an event that cost less than what single wedding events cost.
“I was engaged for three years, I was unable to celebrate it due to the high cost of the ceremony. I was facing a lot of financial problems at home,” said Hussain, who was one of the 25 lucky couples at the event organized by Balkh Youth Affairs Department.
“We are happy with our lives, I want to complete the challenges ahead with my husband,” said Hussain’s bride, Rabia.
Each couple was paid 35,000Afs in cash to assist them buy their own necessities.
It is common place to loan money to organize elaborate wedding ceremonies in Nigeria, yet according to Business Insider, a 2005 Survey shows that couples who start their marriage with debt are less likely to have less quality marriage as they score very low in a test of marital satisfaction and adjustment.
There is also a misconception that men who are involved in Mass Wedding are jobless, but in February when Kano state sponsored the wedding of 1,520 couples, the Commandant of Hisbah Board, Alhaji Aminu Daurawa, explained that the couples were certified fit for marriage after going through some test for character, HIV and economic and financial wellbeing of the groom.
